Dual compatibility phone system

ABSTRACT

A method of operating a captioned telephone, comprising storing analog test data in a captioned telephone memory, dialing a telephone number to a relay gateway, connecting to the relay gateway over a communication network and performing a test of the communication network quality using the test data to determine if the network is sufficient to carry analog data, the test including at least one of transmitting the test data to the relay gateway and receiving test data from the relay gateway via the communication network, wherein the network is one of a POTS network and a VOIP network.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.14/793,358, which was filed on Jul. 7, 2015 and is titled “DualCompatibility Phone System,” which claims priority to U.S. provisionalpatent application No. 62/021,372, which was filed on Jul. 7, 2014, andis titled “Dual Compatibility Phone System,” the contents of bothapplications being incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to relay systems for providing voice-to-textcaptioning for hearing impaired users and, more particularly, to a relaysystem that is compatible with both analog public switched telephonenetworks and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephone service.

Communication systems that support telephone type communicationsgenerally take two different forms. A first form referred to as a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN) uses what's called circuit-switchedtelephone. This technology works by setting up a dedicated channel (orcircuit) between two points for the duration of a call. These telephonysystems are based on copper wires carrying analog voice data overdedicated circuits.

The second form which has developed more recently and is referred to asvoice over internet protocol (VOIP) is based on digital technologies.VOIP, in contrast to PSTN, uses what is called packet-switched telephonetechnology. Using this system, voice information travels to itsdestination in many individual network packets across the Internet. VOIPservice is designed to carry voices and dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF)signaling used by a network. However, internet protocol (IP)communication systems do not reliably carry analog data signals (e.g.,data signals generated by a modem).

Captioned telephone devices (e.g., a CapTel device) and a captionedtelephone system have been developed for providing text transcription ofvoice communications during a telephone call to hearing impairedassisted users. To this end, a typical captioned telephone device (e.g.,an “assisted user's device”) may include a processor, a speaker, amicrophone and a display screen and a captioned telephone system mayinclude a relay. When a telephone call occurs between an assisted userusing the assisted user's device and another person (hereinafter a“hearing user” using a “hearing user's device”) and captioning isrequired, a link is made to the relay so that the hearing user's voicesignal can be provided to the relay to be transcribed into text and sothat the text can be transmitted back to the assisted user's device. Thehearing user's voice is broadcast to the assisted user via the speakerand the assisted user's voice is picked up by the microphone andtransmitted to the hearing user's device. The transcribed text ispresented to the assisted user via the display to view. Thetranscription and transmission of text is rapid and therefore the textand hearing user's voice signal are presented to the assisted usersubstantially or close to simultaneously.

There are two general types of assisted user's devices including oneline and two line devices. In the case of a one line device, the relayoperates between the hearing user's device and the assisted user'sdevice to transcribe the hearing user's voice to text. Thus, a hearinguser that dials a phone number associated with an assisted user may beconnected first to a relay and the relay may initiate a secondconnection to the assisted user's device. In this case the hearinguser's voice and the assisted user's voice signal travel through therelay to the other user's devices and the text is transmitted form therelay to the assisted user's device directly.

In the case of a two line device, the hearing user's device and theassisted user's device are linked directly to each other for voicecommunications and the assisted user's device initiates a second link(e.g., the second line in the two line system) to the relay to transmitthe hearing user's voice to the relay and receive text back from therelay to present via the display screen.

Captioned phone devices have been extremely successful in the market andhave become invaluable tools for hearing impaired users to communicatewith other people. One issue with captioned services is that theassisted user's devices and the relay service have costs associatedtherewith that are over and above the typical costs associated withtelephone devices and services used by hearing users. For this reasongovernment agencies have stepped up and often pay for or at least offsetsome of the additional costs associated with captioning service and thecaptioning system. For instance, government agencies oftentimes eitherpurchase assisted user devices and distribute those devices to assistedusers directly or pay a substantial part of the device purchase pricefor the assisted users. As another instance, most relay service isfunded by a state or the FCC so that, once an assisted user has anassisted user's device, the service is essentially free to the assisteduser.

States regulate intrastate telecommunications and all state regulatedtelecommunications are based on PSTN technology. To provide captionedtelephone services, most states have set up telephone equipmentdistribution programs (EDPs) that purchase assisted user devices anddistribute those devices to assisted users that meet qualificationrequirements set by the state.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstateservices including VOIP based services. Thus, all VOIPtelecommunications are regulated by the FCC on a national level. The FCCdoes not directly purchase assisted user devices and instead allowsassisted users to purchase captioned phone devices directly frommanufacturers or service providers. The FCC, however, requires that anyperson wanting to use VOIP captioning service register and certify withthe FCC that they require captioning service in order to communicate viaa telephone type conversation. The FCC requirements for using captioningservices are different than the state requirements.

Because different assisted users have different types of phone service(e.g., PSTN or VOIP), two different types of assisted user devices havebeen developed, one for use with PSTN service and a second for use withVOIP service.

For many years the US telephone network has been migrating from ananalog PSTN system to a VOIP based system for several reasons. First,the internet is generally unregulated and VOIP is less regulated thanthe PSTN system. Second, VOIP providers have more marketing flexibilityand less regulatory overhead than do the traditional wire linecompanies. Third, VOIP equipment is less expensive to purchase andoperate than the traditional PSTN equipment. Moreover, the operatingcosts are lower for VOIP service than for PSTN services.

When a PSTN based assisted user's device is connected to an IP link,because VOIP does not reliably handle analog data (e.g., modemgenerated) signals used by the PSTN based device, the PSTN basedassisted user's device does not work well. Thus, if an assisted userobtains a PSTN based device and attempts to use that device with a VOIPcommunication link, captioning results are poor in most cases and theservice and device may not be used. Similarly, when an assisted user'stelephone service changes from PSTN to VOIP, because IP does notreliably handle analog data signals, a PSTN based assisted user's devicebecomes unreliable and therefore obsolete. For this reason, while staterun EDPs still want to provide captioned telephone devices and servicesto their residents, the EDPs are reluctant to purchase PSTN baseddevices that may be rendered obsolete by PSTN to VOIP service migration.

Currently, PSTN based captioned services make use of telephone networksignaling to determine the originating and terminating locations foreach relay call and, therefore, who has jurisdiction over the call. Inone example, a determination may be made as to whether a call is anintrastate, interstate, international, or toll free call. If adetermination is made that a call is an intrastate call, a determinationmay be made as to which state the call originated from and thereforewhich state has jurisdiction over and regulates the call. With currentVOIP technology it is not possible to reliably determine the location ofeach end point of a call. VOIP based captioned devices cannot reliablyprovide communication end point information because most IP addressesare dynamically assigned and are not related to a linking communicationline.

Nevertheless, the states and the FCC would like to have the same type ofsummary reports for VOIP based captioned calls that they get for PSTNbased captioned calls showing the various call types as described above.

Thus, there is a need for a captioned assisted user's device that can beused with either of PSTN or VOIP communication systems. There is also aneed for a captioned assisted user's device and service that will notbecome obsolete when the underlying technology used to handlecommunications migrates from PSTN to VOIP. There is also a need for anassisted user's device that can automate the process of determining if auser's device should be set up for VOIP or PSTN service and that canhelp the assisted user provide required information for using differentcommunication services when needed. There is further a need for a systemwhere information required to establish the location of an assisteduser's device is available regardless of the underlying technology usedby the device to facilitate communications.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks byproviding a dual compatibility CapTel phone (DCCP) that is compatiblewith both analog PSTN telephone service and VOIP telephone service. Tothis end, at least some DCCPs have been developed that include both aconventional PSTN port and at least one Ethernet connection port. Here,when the DCCP is to be used with PSTN service, the DCCP may be set up asa single line assisted user's device where the DCCP links to a relay viathe single PSTN port. In this case a hearing user's device links to therelay when the hearing user calls the assisted user and the relaycompletes the connection to the assisted user's device via the PSTNport.

When the DCCP is to be used with VOIP service, the DCCP is set up as atwo line assisted user's device where a call with a hearing user islinked to the PSTN port via a network router (e.g., a router at theassisted user's residence) or the like for hearing user and assisteduser voice communications and the DCCP is linked to the relay via theEthernet connection port to transmit the hearing user's voice to therelay and to receive transcribed text back from the relay. Here, byproviding one PSTN link and one Ethernet link, the single DCCP can beset up for use as either a one line device using the PSTN communicationprotocol or a two line device using VOIP protocol in an IP mode ofoperation.

In at least some cases, when a DCCP is installed and during acommissioning procedure, the DCCP is programmed to automatically performa test on a linked phone line to determine which type of communicationmode the DCCP should communicate in, the PSTN mode or the IP mode (e.g.,via VOIP for voice and IP for text reception).

In at least some cases, the test will include a line quality test todetermine if the line is capable of carrying sufficiently high qualityanalog data signals between the relay and the assisted user's DCCP.Where line quality is sufficient to carry analog data signals to andfrom a relay, in at least some cases the default operating mode will bethe PSTN mode. Here, if the line quality is insufficient to carry analogdata signals, the operating mode may be set to the IP (e.g., VOIP) mode.Other tests to assess an optimal communication mode are contemplated.

To perform an exemplary line quality test, during a commissioningprocedure, the DCCP may be programmed to dial a relay gateway that isset up to help determine line quality and line quality test data may betransmitted one or both ways on the line and the received test data maybe compared to known correct data to assess line quality. Where linequality is sufficient, the DCCP may configure itself to communicate as asingle line device using the PSTN communication protocol. Here, inaddition to configuring itself as a single line device, the DCCP maysignal to a system server to operate as a single line PSTN device sothat incoming calls to the assisted user are automatically routedthrough the relay and so that outgoing calls are likewise automaticallyrouted through the relay.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, an assisteduser's device may also be programmed to automatically configure itselfwith specific operating parameters that are prescribed by a regulatingentity (e.g., a state EDP, the FCC, etc.) upon commissioning. Forexample, the disclosure contemplates a method for operating a DCCPincluding the DCCP dialing a telephone number, connecting to a relayconfiguration gateway over a network, executing a DTMF protocol, andobtaining configuration data from the gateway for configuring the DCCP.Here, the network may be either one of a PSTN and a VOIP network, andthe configuration data is obtained independent of the network type.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a methodfor operating a DCCP includes receiving configuration data from aconfiguration gateway over a network, performing a reliability or linequality test to determine if a telephone line will support a reliabledialup PSTN data connection, and determining if the reliability test wassuccessful or unsuccessful. Again, the network may be either of a PSTNand a VOIP network.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a methodfor operating a DCCP includes contacting an authorized agent, verifyinga registration for one of a PSTN mode and a VOIP network mode, andremotely changing a configuration of the DCCP from one of the PSTN modeand the VOIP mode to the other of the PSTN mode and the VOIP network. Inother cases the task of confirming registration and changingcommunication modes may be automated.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a methodfor operating a DCCP includes automatically dialing a phone number witha captioned telephone, reporting with a DTMF protocol at least one of anelectronic serial number associated with a DCCP and a calling partynumber associated with a call, and recording the electronic serialnumber and the calling party number or DCCP location determined from thecalling party number.

The foregoing and other aspects and advantages of the invention willappear from the following description. In the description, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in whichthere is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of theinvention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scopeof the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claimsand herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating various components in acaptioning communication system that are linked together to facilitatesingle line captioning using a PSTN mode of operation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating various components in acaptioning communication system that are linked together to facilitatetwo line captioning using an IP mode of operation;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the components that make upan exemplary dual compatibility CapTel phone (DCCP) shown in each ofFIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by an exemplary DCCPduring a DCCP commissioning procedure;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing steps performed by a relay or relaygateway during a DCCP commissioning procedure;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by an exemplary DCCPduring a line quality test procedure;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by a relay or relaygateway during a line quality test procedure;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing steps performed by a DCCP toautomatically seek registration information from a DCCP user when DCCPmode has to be changed from PSTN to IP mode;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by a relay orgateway to seek registration information for a DCCP user when DCCP modehas to be changed from PSTN to IP mode;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by a DCCP tofacilitate a phone home process enabling a relay or gateway to establishwhere a DCCP is installed even when the DCCP communicated in an IP mode;and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by a relay orgateway to facilitate the phone home process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention is presented in several varying embodiments in thefollowing description with reference to the figures, in which likenumbers represent the same or similar elements. Reference throughoutthis specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similarlanguage means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughoutthis specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the sameembodiment.

The described features, structures, or characteristics of the inventionmay be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Inthe following description, numerous specific details are recited toprovide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the system. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the system andmethod may both be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. Inother instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are notshown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of theinvention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention will be described in thecontext of an exemplary communication system 10 including a CapTelservice platform or relay 16, an assisted user's (AU's) dualcompatibility CapTel phone device 12, a hearing user's device 14 and anequipment and service management entity (e.g., an EDP, the FCC, a devicedistributor, a caption service provider, etc.). The hearing user'sdevice 14 may be a conventional telephone including a phone device 18and a handset 20 that includes a speaker and a microphone (notseparately labeled). The service entity 40 is an entity that regulatescaption call operating characteristics.

Referring still to FIG. 1 and also to FIG. 3, exemplary DCCP 12 includesa processor 21, a display 28, a handset 30 including a speaker 23 and amicrophone 25 and a keyboard 26. Exemplary device 12 also includes aconventional PSTN port or link 22 and an Ethernet link 24. In somecases, device 12 will also include a WIFI wireless communicationtransceiver 29. DCCP 12 also includes a memory or device database or hasaccess to such a database 27. In at least some embodiments a DCCPspecific serial number may be stored in memory 27 prior to shipping toan entity 40 or an end assisted user that can be used to uniquelyidentify the DCCP. In other cases, variable DCCP settings may be storedin memory 27 prior to shipping when jurisdiction or regulating entity(e.g., an EDP) specific setting values are known prior to shipping. Insome cases, analog test data useful for assessing quality of a PSTNconnection will also be stored in memory 27. In some cases applicationsrun by processor 21 to provide interface screen shots and receive inputvia the DCCP display screen as well as to manage other processes andmethod described herein may also be stored in memory 27.

Referring again to FIG. 1, exemplary relay 16 includes a server 32 and adatabase 48 storing system programs and applications as well as varioustypes of data used by the relay and overall CapTel platform to performvarious functions. One primary function of the relay is to receive ahearing user's voice signal from device 12 and transcribe that signalinto text which is then returned to device 12 to be presented viadisplay 24 to an assisted user. In some cases the transcription processmay be automated using voice recognition software run by server 32. Inother cases the transcription may be performed by a call assistant usinga terminal 34 linked to server 32. Here, the call assistant would listento a voice of a hearing user and transcribe that voice signal to text.In some cases the call assistant will use voice to text transcriptionsoftware trained to the specific voice of the call assistant to performtranscription.

While relay 16 is described as including server 32, server 32 maycomprise any type of computing device or a set of networked servers orother types of processors, each of which may be programmed to performdifferent processes or sub-processes as described hereafter. Whiledifferent systems may include different processing devices andcombinations, the processors or computing devices associated with relay16 will be referred to as “relay” hereafter unless indicated otherwise.

In addition to the transcription function, relay 16 performs otherfunctions described hereafter. Specifically, relay 16 may perform DCCPconfiguration functions, PSTN test functions and phone home functionsrepresented in FIG. 1 by database blocks 42, 44 and 46, respectively.

To assist EDPs with obsolescence issues created by the telephone networkmigration from PSTN technology to VOIP technology, the exemplary DCCP inthe present disclosure may be programmed or controlled to operate aseither a PSTN CapTel phone or a VOIP CapTel phone. If a user's telephoneservice will support PSTN equipment, then the DCCP may be installed tooperate as a PSTN CapTel phone. On the other hand, if the user'stelephone service is VOIP based or is later changed to VOIP or cannotsupport PSTN equipment, the DCCP may be installed to or switched tooperate as a VOIP or IP CapTel phone. In this way EDPs have someassurance that Captel assisted user devices they provide to assistedusers will not become obsolete because of the migration from PSTN toVOIP telephone service.

Referring again to FIG. 1, when DCCP 12 is installed to operate as aPSTN device, DCCP 12 is programmed to receive the hearing user's voicesignal via the PSTN input port 29 and to broadcast that signal via thedevice 12 speaker to the assisted user. DCCP 12 is also programmed toreceive the assisted user's voice signal via the device 12 microphoneand to transmit that analog voice signal to relay server 32 via the PSTNport 29. Here, a hearing user's device 14 links directly to the relay 16via a phone or other communication line 22 and the hearing user's voiceis transmitted to server 32 for transcription to text and to beforwarded on to DCCP via line 24 for broadcast. The transcribed text istransmitted as analog PSTN type data on line 24 to DCCP via PSTN port 29to be presented on the DCCP display screen 28. In this single line PSTNmode of operation, the Ethernet port 31 is unused.

Referring to FIG. 2, when DCCP 12 is installed to operate as a VOIPdevice, a hearing user's device 14 is linked directly to the DCCP via aninternet connection or link 21 into a network router 41 (e.g., a routerat the assisted user's residence) and a line to the PSTN port 29 on DCCP12. Similarly the assisted user's voice signal is transmitted throughrouter 41 to the hearing user's device 14 to be broadcast to the hearinguser. Here, the assisted user's voice signal may be sent to the router41 either via the PSTN port 29 or via a link from Ethernet port 31 tothe router 41.

In addition to transmitting the assisted user's voice signal to router41 to be sent on to the hearing user's device 14, DCCP also transmitsthe hearing user's voice signal back through router 41 and on to relayserver 32 via an IP link 43 (e.g., via VOIP). Again, relay 16 convertsthe hearing user's voice signal to text and transmits that text via anIP or other robust network protocol back to DCCP 12 via router 41 onlink 43. Here, router 41 transmits the text to DCCP 12 via port 31. DCCPconverts the text message into text and presents the text via display28.

In some cases where VOIP or another network protocol is used tocommunicate with server 32, DCCP 24 may communicate with router 41wirelessly via transceiver 24. Here, a paring of DCCP with router 41 isrequired prior to wireless communication as well known in the networkingarts. In other cases it is contemplated that other line tests may beperformed in order to assess which type of mode (PSTN or IP) should beused by the DCCP. For instance, in some cases it is contemplated that aDCCP may be able to attempt to communicate with router 41 to identifythat the router exists. Here, where no router responds to acommunication from the DCCP, the DCCP may be programmed to determinethat no router exists and therefore that the DCCP should be set tooperate in the PSTN mode. If a router 41 responds to a message from DCCP12, DCCP 12 may be programmed to recognize that VOIP service is presentand may set itself to operate in the IP mode. Other tests fordetermining operation mode type are contemplated.

In one aspect, the DCCP may provide several advantages over a typicalCapTel phone with respect to configuration of the DCCP duringinstallation. When a DCCP is installed it may automatically connect to aspecial gateway associated with relay 16, identify itself, and relay 16may supply the DCCP with specific configuration information required bya state program (e.g., an EDP) that provided the DCCP to the assisteduser. To this end, EDPs often establish default settings for a number ofparameters in a CapTel phone. These parameters may include a CaptionsDefault to ON setting, a maximum allowed handset volume with captionsOFF setting, and other similar features.

Unique serial numbers are typically assigned to DCCPs. In at least somecases, prior to shipping a DCCP to an EDP or directly to an assisteduser, a unique DCCP serial number may be entered into a relay databasealong with the settings specified by the EDP or for another entity thatis to regulate the DCCP. At installation the DCCP may be automaticallyconfigured with the appropriate settings.

For a PSTN phone, the connection to the relay gateway may be via adialup data connection. For an IP CapTel phone the connection to theconfiguration gateway may be via the internet. The DCCP is designed foran environment where it is not known if a connection to a relay has theability to support the dialup data connection or not. It may be that thetelephone service at the install location is VOIP and may not support areliable dialup data connection. If the install location cannotestablish a reliable PSTN data connection, then a conventional PSTNbased CapTel device may not be able to establish a reliable connectionto the configuration gateway and could not complete the installconfiguration.

To overcome this problem a DCCP may connect to the relay configurationgateway by dialing a telephone number and may then use a unique DTMFprotocol to communicate with the configuration gateway. PSTN linesaccurately carry DTMF. Similarly, all VOIP lines are designed toaccurately carry DTMF. Thus, by using a DTMF protocol to facilitate theconfiguration process, the DCCP may be assured of receivingconfiguration data whether a user's telephone service is PSTN (e.g.,POTS) or VOIP and the user does not have to be aware of which servicethe user employs.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, an exemplary process 60, 80 forconfiguring a DCCP during an installation process or commissioningprocedure is illustrated where FIG. 5 represents steps performed by arelay or platform gateway and FIG. 4 presents steps performed by a DCCP.Beginning at block 61 in FIG. 4, a DCCP specific serial number isassigned to a DCCP and stored in the DCCP memory that can be used tosubsequently distinguish the associated DCCP from other DCCPs. At block82 in FIG. 5 the DCCP specific serial number is stored by relay server32 or other platform computing device along with a configurationspecification for the specific DCCP. Here, again, a state or otherentity regulating DCCP use or that provides the DCCP to a user mayprovide specific configuration requirements.

In FIG. 4, at block 62, an assisted user connects a phone line in theuser's residence or at the location at which DCCP 12 is to be used tothe PSTN port 29. At block 64, DCCP 12 dials a phone number associatedwith the relay 16. Here, the process of dialing the relay upon initiallink to the communication line may be automated so that an installerdoes not have to initiate the process. After a DCCP to rely link hasbeen established at block 66, control passes to block 68 where the DCCPprocessor automatically generates a DTMF data packet including the DCCPspecific device serial number and at block 70 the DTMF packet istransmitted to relay 16.

Referring again to FIG. 5, the DCCP connection is made at block 84 andthe DTMF packet is received at block 86. At block 88, relay server 32 orthe like access the DCCP serial number database created at block 82 andidentifies a configuration specification for the DCCP serial numberreceived at block 86. At block 90 the configuration specificationinformation is transmitted back to the DCCP.

Referring again to FIG. 4, at block 72 the configuration specificationis received and at block 74 that specification is used by DCCP to setvariable operating parameters to values or settings consistent with thespecification requirements. Many settings are contemplated includingdefault captioning on or off settings, maximum volume settings, etc.

According to another aspect, the DCCP may automatically determine if atelephone line can support a reliable dialup connection by assessingline quality or reliability. A state EDP may prefer that a resident usePSTN communication if the user's telephone service will support areliable PSTN connection. In the alternative, another state may preferthat their residents use an IP connection for receiving captioningservices if telephone service will support an IP connection. DCCP 12 maycooperate with relay 16 to perform a telephone line reliability test.The test may determine if the user's telephone line will support areliable dialup data connection to the CapTel service. To this end,again, most IP connections or lines will not allow high fidelitytransmission of analog data signals and therefore will not support areliable dial up data connection. If the test is successful, the DCCPmay continue with the PSTN install. However, if the test isunsuccessful, the DCCP may direct the installer to set up the DCCP tooperate using an IP mode of operation.

To test the telephone line quality, in at least some embodiments, theDCCP may dial into a special relay number associated with a special setof platform modems that are programmed to perform a series of loopbacktests with the DCCP. One or more modems may send packets of data to theDCCP. In at least some cases the DCCP may retransmit the received testpackets back to the modem or modems. The platform modems and/or DCCP mayexamine the test data packets and identify any errors in packet data. Ifthe error rate is sufficiently low, the DCCP or modem processor mayassess that the line quality is sufficiently high for PSTNcommunication. On the other hand, if the error rate exceeds somethreshold level, the DCCP or modem processor may assess that the linequality is poor and insufficient to support PSTN communications and aprocess to set up the IP mode of communication may be initiated.

In other cases a DCCP may send test packets to the platform modem ormodems to start a line reliability test. In some cases the modem mayretransmit the packets, including errors, back to the DCCP. One or bothof the modems and DCCP may examine the received test packets to identifyerrors and assess if the line quality error threshold has been exceededor not.

In one aspect, the test modem may also provide additional data on thequality of the data connections. This data may include equalization andpower parameters used by the modem to complete the connection.

In another aspect, one or more line quality tests may be performed ondemand to determine if the PSTN data reliability is still adequate tosupport a quality CapTel connection. Here, for instance, if an assisteduser notices a drop off in transcription quality, the user herself maybe able to initiate a line quality determination process. For instance,the DCCP may allow a user to indicate that an error rate seems high

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, an exemplary process for determining ifa line is suitable for PSTN communication is illustrated where FIG. 6shows steps performed by a DCCP and FIG. 7 shows steps performed by arelay system server or other platform server or computer. At block 99 aDCCP specific serial number is assigned to a DCCP and is stored in theDCCP memory. At block 101 analog test data is stored in the DCCP memoryand at block 132 analog test data is stored in the relay or other systemdatabase. At block 102 the DCCP 12 is connected to a phone line via thePSTN port 29 (see again FIG. 1). Here, the test data stored in the DCCPmemory and the relay database may be identical while in other cases thedata may be different.

At block 104, the DCCP dials the test modem. Here, in at least somecases the DCCP may be programmed to automatically dial the relay testmodem upon initial installation and, perhaps, at other times thereafter(e.g., every night, once a week, upon user command to check linequality, etc.). Referring to FIG. 7, once a DCCP call is received atblock 134, at block 136, the relay test modem transmits the storedanalog test data to the DCCP. In FIG. 6, the test data is received atblock 108 and at block 110 the test data stored initially by the DCCP istransmitted to relay test modem. At block 112, the DCCP compares thereceived test data to known correct test data to identify errors.

Referring again to FIG. 7, at block 138 the relay test modem receivesthe test data transmitted by the DCCP and that data is compared to knowncorrect test data at block 140 to identify errors. At block 142 theerrors or some indication of the number or errors or error rate istransmitted back to the DCCP. At block 114 the error information fromthe relay is received by the DCCP and at block 116 the DCCP processordetermines if any of the error rates exceed a threshold level. If theerror rate is less than the threshold level, control passes to block 118where the DCCP is programmed to operate in the PSTN mode (see FIG. 1).If an error rate exceeds the threshold level, control passes to block120 where the DCCP is programmed to operate in the IP mode (see FIG. 2).

In some embodiments other line quality determining processes arecontemplated. For instance, instead of having each of the DCCP and therelay or modems store test data and having both determine test dataerror rates, in other cases only one of the DCCP and the relay may storetest data for transmission to the other and only the other of the DCCPand relay may perform the testing to identify error rate. Where a relayestablishes the error rate, instead of transmitting the error rate tothe DCCP, a signal indicating PSTN or VOIP may be transmitted to theDCCP for setting the communication technology to be used by the DCCP.

As described above, the line quality test may be performed immediatelyupon initiation of the DCCP in some cases. In other cases, the linequality test may be repeated periodically or upon command by an assisteduser. For instance, in some cases the line quality test may be performedevery day (e.g., at 2 AM assuming the DCCP is not being used at thattime). Here, where the poor line quality is detected, a notice may bepresented to the user the next time the user uses the phone indicatingpoor quality and perhaps initiating a process whereby the DCCP ischanged over to operate in the IP mode after suitable registration orother regulation requirements are met.

In still other cases it is contemplated that a state or the FCC may, atsome point, regulate the number of minutes of caption services that thestate or FCC will provide. In this case, for instance, if a state willonly purchase a maximum of 200 minutes per week for an assisted user,the FCC may opt to pay for any minutes beyond 200 minutes of use. Here,the system may automatically switch between PSTN and IP modes whenrequired based on minutes of use, assuming that line quality permits.

In still other cases a relay operator or administrator or other CapTelplatform employee may be able to initiate a line quality test remotely.For instance, if an assisted user is not satisfied with captioningquality, the user may contact a remote platform employee and thatemployee may test the line quality in a manner similar to that describedabove by initiating transmission of test data to or from the DCCP 12 andan associated error rate calculation.

In a further aspect, a DCCP may prevent a user from switching the DCCPfrom a PSTN mode to an IP mode. Again, a state has the authority toauthorize the use of a PSTN CapTel phone. If a state's EDP distributes aDCCP, then the DCCP is automatically approved for use by the state. VOIPCapTel phones are under the jurisdiction of FCC rules. The FCC requiresthat any person wanting to use VOIP captioned telephone service mustfirst register and certify that they need to use the CapTel service tohave a telephone conversation. Because there are different requirementsfor use of VOIP and PSTN based CapTel phone devices, an assisted usercannot be allowed to simply change a setting in a DCCP to change theDCCP from a PSTN mode to an IP mode.

To ensure that the appropriate authorization, state, federal or otherhas been obtained prior to captioning services being rendered, a DCCPmay be programmed so that an assisted user cannot change the operatingmode independent of some activity by an authorizing agency. To changefrom PSTN to IP mode (or vice versa), an assisted user may be requiredto contact an authorized agent such as a customer service representativeassociated with a distributer of the user's DCCP (e.g., an EDP), or aregistration specialist. The authorized agent may verify that a requiredregistration or authorization for the assisted user for a desired mode(e.g., PSTN or VOIP) is on file or has been rendered. The authorizedagent may then remotely change the configuration in the DCCP viatransmission of a mode setting signal to the DCCP.

In at least some cases when an agent authorizes a mode change, theoperating mode setting may be changed while an assisted user is usingher DCCP to speak with the agent. In other cases, the agent'sauthorization signal may cause the authorized mode setting to be storedin a configuration gateway database and the assisted user may berequired to repeat the configuration process described above to changeoperating modes (e.g., the DCCP specification may specify PSTN or IPmode for an associated DCCP).

In still other cases it is contemplated that an assisted user may haveobtained both state and FCC authorizations or registrations for the PSTNand IP modes and those may be recorded in some system database. Where auser has authorization to use each of a PSTN mode and an IP mode, whereone mode is preferred over the other for some reason (e.g., linequality, EDP preference, etc.), changes between communication modes maybe automated. Moreover, in a case where a user has both PSTN and IP modeauthorizations, the user herself may be able to switch between servicetypes by entering a service type command via the DCCP display screen.

In at least some cases a DCCP may be programmed to allow a user to seekauthorization for a mode type (e.g., PSTN or IP) via the DCCP itself orto prompt the user for information required to obtain authorization. Forinstance, in a case where a DCCP has determined that line quality isinsufficient for PSTN mode, the DCCP may be programmed to indicate linefailure to an assisted user via the DCCP display screen. The failureindication may include information about the IP mode option and an onscreen selectable icon for initiating an IP mode registration process.Here, where an IP mode registration is electronically stored, the systemmay automatically obtain the registration and automatically reconfigureto facilitate VOIP communications. In other cases selection of the onscreen icon may cause a registration process to commence with the aid ofa platform employee or automatically whereby a statement from theassisted user that meets regulatory requirements is presented via theDCCP display screen along with some type of “accept” icon. Here,selecting the accept icon may cause a relay server, EDP server or otherserver to store the user's statement to meet the regulatoryrequirements.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a process 150, 170 for seeking service typeauthorization is illustrated where FIG. 8 includes steps performed by aDCCP and FIG. 9 includes steps performed by a relay or other platformserver. At block 152, after a line quality test fails, a line qualityfailure indication is transmitted via DTMF to the relay and thenauthorization for VOIP service is monitored at block 154. Referring alsoto FIG. 8, at block 172 a line quality failure indication is received.At block 174, a relay server attempts to retrieve an IP mode serviceregistration or authorization. Again, the attempt to retrieveauthorization may include searching for an electronic authorization orstarting a process for obtaining authorization. At block 176, ifauthorization is not obtained, control passes to block 182 where afailure to authorize indication is transmitted to the DCCP. Although notshown, the failure indication at block 182 may include an explanation ofthe IP mode along with some statement and an accept icon to allow theuser to meet FCC or other regulatory requirements associated with the IPmode. If IP mode registration is retrieved, at block 178 theregistration or a signal indicating IP mode registration is transmittedback to the DCCP and at block 180 the DCCP reconfigures to communicatevia the IP mode.

In yet another aspect, a DCCP may include a phone home function usefulto determine the location of the DCCP so that calls can be ascribed todifferent responsible jurisdictions. Currently, PSTN based relayservices make use of telephone network signaling to determine theoriginating and terminating locations for each captioned call and,therefore, who has jurisdiction over the call. For instance, networksignals may be used to determine whether a call is an intrastate,interstate, international, or toll free call. If a determination is madethat a call is an intrastate call, a determination may be made as towhich state the call originated from.

With current VOIP communications it is not possible to reliablydetermine the location of each end point of a call. VOIP CapTel phonescannot reliably provide this information because most IP addresses aredynamically assigned and are not related to an attached voice telephoneline. Nevertheless, the states and the FCC would like to have the sametype of summary reports for VOIP based calls that they get for PSTNcalls showing the various call types as described above.

To provide additional DCCP location information to the states or otherregulatory entities, a DCCP may be programmed to automatically dial arelay system phone number for a “phone home” relay gateway and reportits DCCP specific serial number. Special telephone network equipmentlocated in the relay may respond to the “phone home” call recording theDCCP serial number and the telephone network's Calling Party Numberassociated with the call. A calling Party Number or a similar functioncalled Automatic Number Identification (ANI) may be used to determinethe location of the DCCP telephone. The DCCP may use a DTMF signalingprotocol to provide the serial number to the relay recording function asthis method is generally reliable on both PSTN and IP connections.

The phone home function may also be combined with the VOIP connection tocorrelate the IP address for a DCCP operating in IP mode with thetelephone number connected to the voice service line or with thelocation of the DCCP as established during the phone home process. To dothis, as described above, the DCCP may automatically dial a special tollfree number on the PSTN network for the phone home relay gateway. Thegateway may request the DCCP specific serial number from the DCCP andmay then correlate and save the DCCP serial number along with thecalling party number or a location derived from the calling party numberinformation in a system database for subsequent use.

After the calling party number or DCCP location and the DCCP serialnumber have been stored, each time the DCCP connects to the relayplatform in the future using VOIP, the relay platform may automaticallyreceive or obtain the DCCP IP address and electronic serial number. Theelectronic serial number may then be used to lookup the DCCP location inthe database which can then be associated with the DCCP IP address andthe call in general for jurisdictional or type assignment purposes. Thismethod may provide or be useable to determine complete information aboutwhere the DCCP is installed. Again, DTMF may be used to send theidentification number or other data over the voice telephone connectionbecause all types of residential telephone service (PSTN and VOIP) areknown to reliably carry DTMF signals.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, a process 190, 210 for associatingDCCP location with an IP address or a call is shown where FIG. 10 showssteps performed by a DCCP and FIG. 11 shows relay or other platformserver steps. At block 192, a DCCP dials a relay “phone home” number. Atblock 194 the DCCP transmits a DTMF DCCP specific serial number to therelay equipment. In FIG. 11, the DCCP specific serial number is receivedat 192. At block 194, the relay equipment obtains or captures thecalling party number information from the phone service provider. Atblock 194, the relay uses the calling party number to identify locationof the DCCP and at block 196 the relay stores the DCCP specific serialnumber and the DCCP location for subsequent use. At block 198, when asubsequent call is received at the relay from the DCCP, the DCCP againprovides the DCCP specific serial number as well as an IP addressassigned to the DCCP. At block 202 the relay uses the serial number tolook up the location of the DCCP in the database and the location isthereafter associated with the DCCP IP address.

The DCCP may automatically perform the “phone home” function uponreceiving a command from the CapTel platform to do so or the DCCP may betold to perform the “phone home” function at prescribed intervals, suchas daily, weekly, or monthly. The DCCP may also be directed to performthe “phone home” function at a specific time of day perhaps during thelate evening or early morning so as not to interfere with other use ofthe DCCP. The CapTel platform may automatically respond to the “phonehome” function. Moreover, the DCCP may store up to date records of theDCCP's IP address and telephone number or even a location of the DCCPprovided by the CapTel platform or entered into the DCCP by an installeror an assisted user.

When a DCCP using VOIP is used to place a call with captions ON, theDCCP may store the number entered by the assisted user to initiate thecall (e.g., the phone number of a hearing user's phone or targetdevice). The DCCP may further report the stored number to the captioningrelay at the start of the call. The captioning relay may store thedialed number in call detail records created for each captioned call. Asnoted above for PSTN based relay services, the states and federalgovernment use the originating number and the dialed number to determinea jurisdiction associated with each PSTN based call. Using the phonehome function described above and recording the dialed number may allowthe relay service or some other entity or service to assign ajurisdiction to the call using the same rules used by PSTN CapTel. In atleast some cases, without the phone home function, it will not bepossible to determine the intrastate, interstate jurisdiction for IPCapTel calls.

In at least some embodiments a DCCP using VOIP communication will beprogrammed to store any Caller-ID information received during an inboundcall. Moreover, the DCCP may be programmed to report Caller-ID or otheridentifying information to the captioning service platform so that theinformation can be recorded in a call detail record. While Caller-ID isnot always present on a telephone line and can be blocked by the caller,it is still useful to record and provide the Caller-ID information foreach call when it is available.

In other cases a different version of the phone home concept iscontemplated where the calling party number is correlated with anelectronic serial number of a DCCP so that the calling party number canbe associated with a network address when a subsequent call is received.In this regard, the phone home function can be combined with the IPconnection to correlate the IP address for a Captel phone operating inIP mode with the telephone number connected to a voice service line. Todo this, the Captel phone may automatically dial a special toll freenumber on the PSTN network to a “Phone Home gateway” at the relay. Thegateway will save the calling party number and then request theelectronic serial number from the DCCP. Once the gateway has both theelectronic serial number and calling party number, it will store them ina Captel database where it can be accessed later.

The Captel platform automatically receives the DCCP IP address andelectronic serial number each time the DCCP connects to the Captelplatform. The electronic serial number can be used to associate thetelephone number collected during a ‘phone home” operation with the IPaddress collected during a captioning session. This provides a completepicture of where the DCCP is installed.

The Captel phone can automatically perform the “phone home” uponreceiving a command from the Captel platform to do so or the phone cantold to perform the “phone home” function at prescribed intervals, suchas daily weekly, or monthly. The Captel phone can also be directed toperform the “phone home” function at a specific time of day perhapsduring the late evening or early morning so as not to interfere withother use of the Captel phone. The Captel platform will automaticallyrespond to the “phone home” function and keep up to date records of theCaptel phone's IP address and telephone number.

When an IP Captel phone user places a call with captions ON, the IPCaptel phone stores the number the user dialed and reports this to thecaption service at the start of the call. The captioning service storesand reports the dialed number in the call detail records created foreach captioned call. As noted above for PSTN based relay services thestates and federal government use the originating number and dial tonumber to determine the jurisdiction for the call. Using the phone homefunction described above and recording the dialed number will allowCaptel to assign a jurisdiction to the call using the same rules used byPSTN Captel. Without the phone home function it has not possible todetermine the intrastate, interstate jurisdiction for IP CTS calls.

The present invention has been described in terms of one or morepreferred embodiments, and it should be appreciated that manyequivalents, alternatives, variations, and modifications, aside fromthose expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of theinvention.

While present inventive concepts have been described with reference toparticular embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that various substitutions and/or other alterations may bemade to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of presentinventive concepts. Accordingly, the foregoing description is meant tobe exemplary, and does not limit the scope of present inventiveconcepts.

A number of examples have been described herein. Nevertheless, it shouldbe understood that various modifications may be made. For example,suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques areperformed in a different order and/or if components in a describedsystem, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a differentmanner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or theirequivalents. As another example, referring again to FIG. 2, in a casewhere an assisted user has VOIP service, an all VOIP system may be setup where all communications between the router 41 and the DCCP 12 arevia either the Ethernet port 31 or the wireless transceiver or both sothat the PSTN port is non-functional. As one other example, as describedabove, other line quality tests are contemplated and other tests forautomatically determining or discerning communication mode (e.g., PSTNor IP) available for use by an assisted user are contemplated.

Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the presentinventive concepts.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a captioned telephone,comprising: storing analog test data in a captioned telephone memory;dialing a telephone number to a relay gateway; connecting to the relaygateway over a communication network; and performing a test ofcommunication network quality using the test data to determine if thenetwork is sufficient to carry analog data, the test including at leastone of transmitting the test data to the relay gateway and receivingtest data from the relay gateway via the communication network; whereinthe network is one of a POTS network and a VOIP network.
 2. The methodof claim 1 further including the step of, when the network quality issufficient to carry analog data, setting up the captioned telephone tooperate in a PSTN mode in which data is communicated between thecaptioned telephone and the relay gateway via analog transmission. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing a test includestransmitting the analog test data to the relay gateway and receivingtest data transmitted from the relay gateway and comparing the receivedtest data to the stored analog test data to identify errors in thereceived test data, and wherein when a number of errors exceeds athreshold value, determining that the network quality is insufficient tocarry analog data.
 4. The method of claim 3 further including the stepof, when the network quality is sufficient to carry analog data, settingup the captioned telephone to operate in a PSTN mode in which data iscommunicated between the captioned telephone and the relay gateway viaanalog transmission.
 5. The method of claim 1 further including thesteps of, when the network quality is insufficient to carry analog data,setting up the captioned telephone to operate in an IP mode in whichdata is communicated between the captioned telephone and the relaygateway via the internet.
 6. The method of claim 5 further comprisingverifying that an assisted user is registered to use the IP mode priorto setting up the IP mode operation.
 7. The method of claim 1, whereinthe performing step occurs automatically when the captioned telephone isfirst connected to the communication network.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the performing step is performed on-demand by a user.
 9. Amethod for use with a captioned telephone, the method comprising thesteps of: linking the captioned telephone to a phone line; automaticallyperforming a test on the phone line to determine that the phone line isone of a PSTN line and an IP line; when the phone line is a PSTN line,setting up the captioned telephone to operate in a PSTN mode whereinformation is transmitted as analog signals; and when the phone line isan IP line, setting up the captioned telephone to operate in an IP modewhere information is transmitted on the line as digital data packets.10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of performing a test includesstoring analog test data in a captioned telephone memory, at least oneof transmitting and receiving analog test data, and determining linequality as a function of a number of errors in the test data eithertransmitted or received.
 11. The method of claim 9 further comprisingreceiving a user input to perform an additional test on the phone lineto determine that the phone line is one of a PSTN line or an IP line.12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is physically presentproximate the captioned telephone.
 13. The method of claim 11, whereinthe user is remote from the captioned telephone.
 14. A method ofoperating a captioned telephone, comprising: associating the captionedtelephone with a phone line via a PSTN port and with a network router;attempting to establish communication between the captioned telephoneand the network router; when the router responds to the captionedtelephone, configuring the captioned telephone to operate in an IP mode;and when the router does not respond to the captioned telephone,configuring the captioned telephone to operate in a PSTN mode.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the captioned telephone is associated withthe network router via a wireless transceiver.
 16. The method of claim14, wherein the captioned telephone is associated with the networkrouter via an Ethernet connection.
 17. The method of claim 14, whereinafter the captioned telephone is configured to operate in either an IPmode or a PSTN mode, connecting via the relevant mode to a gatewayassociated with a relay, identifying the captioned telephone to thegateway, and receiving configuration information specific to thecaptioned telephone from the gateway.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein the configuration information includes default settings relatedto captioning.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the configurationinformation includes default settings related to a maximum allowedhandset volume.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the captionedtelephone includes a unique identifier stored in memory, and wherein theidentifying step includes transmitting the unique identifier to thegateway.